Role of Flow Cytometry and Immunology in Cancer Treatment
Flow cytometry (FCM) is used in the detection and measurement of the physical and chemical properties of the cell population involving cell size, cell count, and cell cycle.
Over the past two decades, clinical flow cytometry has evolved into an integral component of clinical practice from a highly specialized research tool.
Several new approaches to cancer immunotherapy have been introduced in the clinical practice, which has greatly increased the interest in analytical methodologies of patients in the clinical setting.
While flow cytometry and immunology methods are used for basic cell biological research routinely, these methods play a vital role in the diagnosis, treatment, and management of tumors in certain bone and soft tissue and blood cancers such as leukemia, lymphoma, and myeloma.
This article will widely discuss the role of these methods in cancer research and treatments.
What is flow cytometry in immunology?
Flow cytometry is a growing technology in the field of oncology and immunology that is applicable to the quantitative detection and measurement of the physical and chemical characteristics of cancerous cells in the human body.
Flow cytometry was introduced in 1960 as an analytical technique for the measurement of various characteristics of a single-cell suspension.
This technology is majorly used to identify malignant cell types for hematological malignancies by detecting cell surface antigens. These antigens offer critical information about the different stages of maturation and phenotypical heterogeneity of cells.
Flow cytometry is a laser-based technique that is used for analyzing the physical and chemical characteristics of cells through sorting, counting, and determining the cell function and characteristics of cells among other heterogeneous sample mixtures.
This laser beam technique is applicable in the evaluation of the following:
- Percentage and number of cell subsets
- Activation and function of biomarkers
- Viability, apoptosis, and cell cycle analysis
Anticancer immunotherapy and flow cytometry have shown a revolution in the field of cancer therapy and have become an heirloom option for many patients.
Flow Cytometry and Cancer Research
Flow cytometry was originally introduced for the wide study of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) content for cell ploidy. Along with this, flow cytometry is highly useful in the determination of proliferation activity and high throughput in human solid cancer types. The image-based FCM has replaced microscopy-based clinical tools that were conventionally known as some of the most indispensable tools in cancer research.
FCM has gained even wider application in the field of cancer research with the discovery of monoclonal antibodies and new fluorescent dyes. At present, flow cytometry has various applications in the medical field, such as:
- Cancer diagnosis: FCM is used to screen abnormal DNA content that may indicate the presence of cancer in the human body.
- Specific histopathological diagnosis: FCM detects ribonucleic acid (RNA) for blood cancers and specific tagged surface markers (for lymphoid and myeloid neoplasms). The presence of DNA aneuploidy and a high proportion of tumor cells may indicate tumor malignancy.
- Autophagy assessment: Autophagy is a process of death of cells due to increased intracellular stress. FCM helps to integrate various mechanisms of autophagy that are closely responsible for promoting and suppressing the induction of tumor cells.
- Cancer treatment: Flow cytometry is used to quantify the therapeutic and potential side effects of various cancer treatments. By combining flow cytometry with monoclonal antibodies, it is possible to identify tumor antigens.
Advantages of Flow Cytometry
FCM holds several advantages in cancer research and has gained the approval of the scientific community in cancer immunotherapy.
Detects extremely sensitive cancer cells: The presence of even a small number of cancer cells can be detected by FCM, while other testing methods provide no evidence of the disease. FCM is useful, particularly in monitoring remission and predicting the recurrence of the disease, since it is capable of identifying 1 in 10,000 cells.
Provides a quick turnaround time: FCM can analyze thousands of cells per second which reduces the treatment time. In simple words, patients receive their test results within hours and can easily bring them back to their clinician to begin the further treatment procedure. Hence, this technology is a definite game-changer, prompting the treatment needed to ensure better outcomes.
Moreover, the expansion of applications in flow cytometry for research activities and innovation in flow cytometry have led to the use of next-generation flow cytometers.
According to the report by BIS Research, the global flow cytometry in oncology and immunology market was valued at $1.65 billion in 2021 and is anticipated to reach $5.28 billion by 2032, witnessing a CAGR of 11.39% during the forecast period 2022–2032.
Find more details on this report in this FREE sample.
Conclusion
With the increasing cases of cancer worldwide, the demand for flow cytometry has increased. Due to the extensive adoption of flow cytometry-based products for improving the diagnosis and screening of cancer, flow cytometry can provide quick and effective data collection from a heterogenous mixture of fluids.
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